Tobacco control needs stronger smoke signals

    BEIJING, May 31 -- China will report its progress on tobacco（香烟） control to the member conference(联盟) of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) next year, but many experts say that there is still a lot to be done.
    "China is unlikely to meet the FCTC targets by 2011," Cui Xiaobo, professor of social medicine at the Capital Medicine University, a tobacco control expert, said ahead of this year's World No Tobacco Day on Monday.
    Among its protocols¹ the FCTC requires all member countries to implement（实施，落实） a comprehensive ban on smoking in public places by January 2011.
    "We know the targets are challenging to all member countries, particularly China, which is concerned about the negative impact（影响） of tobacco control on its economy," said WHO China Representative Michael O'Leary. "But we believe China can achieve the targets when the message gets across to the government that the benefits of tobacco control outweigh² the economic concerns（关注）."Currently, among the central government agencies only the Ministry³ of Health has met the requirements of the Convention, banning indoor smoking at all medical institutions and administrations across the country by the end of 2011.
    To facilitate（促进） an effective nationwide action, an entity⁴ above ministerial-level is needed to take the lead in tobacco control, one that can cover all sectors⁵, including health, industry, finance, and agriculture, said Sarah England, a technical officer for the WHO Tobacco Free Initiative.
    The successful model for AIDS control, with a State Council level committee and a secretariat at the Ministry of Health, is worth considering for tobacco control in China, she said.
    "It was once considered impossible to ban smoking in bars in New York City, in pubs in Dublin and in cafes in Paris, but it all happened," she said. "China can also achieve it, if the right evidence can be provided to the Chinese leadership so that they can clearly see the devastating⁶ effects of tobacco on the economy."According to the WHO, 17 FCTC member countries, including France and Canada, have applied⁷ a 100 percent indoor smoking ban in public places.
    "All of them have laws prohibiting indoor smoking in public and act accordingly and strictly," said Jiang Yuan, deputy director of the tobacco control office at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
    Her office brought together 59 law experts in Beijing on Saturday, forming an alliance committed to pushing forward national legislation on smoking control.
    Despite current regional smoking bans in public places, "smokers⁸ are seldom punished for breaking the ban," said Professor Cui.
    "Even during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games when supervision⁹ over smoking in public venues¹⁰ was strict, smokers only got a verbal warning or a fine of 10 yuan ($1.46)," he explained.
    "Tobacco control laws in China need more teeth," he said.
    Given the large territory and population in China, stakeholders, including the government, industry and society, should fight the smoking epidemic¹¹ together, he urged.（本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑）

1 protocols   

n.礼仪( protocol的名词复数 )；（外交条约的）草案；（数据传递的）协议；科学实验报告（或计划）

参考例句：

• There are also protocols on the testing of nuclear weapons. 也有关于核武器试验的协议。 来自辞典例句
• Hardware components and software design of network transport protocols are separately introduced. 介绍系统硬件组成及网络传输协议的软件设计。 来自互联网

2 outweigh   

vt.比...更重，...更重要

参考例句：

• The merits of your plan outweigh the defects.你制定的计划其优点胜过缺点。
• One's merits outweigh one's short-comings.功大于过。

3 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

4 entity   

n.实体，独立存在体，实际存在物

参考例句：

• The country is no longer one political entity.这个国家不再是一个统一的政治实体了。
• As a separate legal entity,the corporation must pay taxes.作为一个独立的法律实体，公司必须纳税。

5 sectors   

n.部门( sector的名词复数 )；领域；防御地区；扇形

参考例句：

• Berlin was divided into four sectors after the war. 战后柏林分成了4 个区。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Industry and agriculture are the two important sectors of the national economy. 工业和农业是国民经济的两个重要部门。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

6 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

7 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

8 smokers   

吸烟者( smoker的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Many smokers who are chemically addicted to nicotine cannot cut down easily. 许多有尼古丁瘾的抽烟人不容易把烟戒掉。
• Chain smokers don't care about the dangers of smoking. 烟鬼似乎不在乎吸烟带来的种种危害。

9 supervision   

n.监督，管理

参考例句：

• The work was done under my supervision.这项工作是在我的监督之下完成的。
• The old man's will was executed under the personal supervision of the lawyer.老人的遗嘱是在律师的亲自监督下执行的。

10 venues   

n.聚集地点( venue的名词复数 )；会场；（尤指）体育比赛场所；犯罪地点

参考例句：

• The band will be playing at 20 different venues on their UK tour. 这个乐队在英国巡回演出期间将在20个不同的地点演出。
• Farmers market corner, 800 meters long, 60 meters wide livestock trading venues. 农牧市场东北角，有长800米，宽60米的牲畜交易场地。 来自互联网

11 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。